Organisations

Possibly one of the people who did the most for scouting in Lenton was the Curate-in-Charge of the Priory church during the years 1922-1927, the Reverend Keith B. Frampton, L.Th.(Frambo). It was a great privilege to have him at the celebration of fifty years scouting in Lenton, when a service for this event was held in the Parish Church in 1967. On the previous Saturday evening there had been a re-union of old-scouters of the 47th, held in the Parish Hall.

The brownies celebrated their Golden Jubilee in February 1978 while the girl guides held a service in the Parish Church on Sunday, 30th September 1979, on the occasion of their Diamond Jubilee. it is congratulations to these organisations, especially to their leaders, who put in so much time and hard work-to enable them to function, and may they continue in this most valuable youth training.

Each church had its own youth organisation; the Parish, first formed, being known as the Young People's Association, or YPA. The Priory, the second to be introduced, known as the Lenton Priory Guild, was founded by the Reverend Fred Ginever, who was Curate-in-Charge of Lenton Priory Church for some years in the early 1930's. He had a brother, who was an assistant curate at the Parish Church about the same period of time, and he edited the book written in 1930 "The Parish and Priory of Lenton".

The YPA were rather fortunate to have the use of the hard tennis-courts at the Vicarage during the summer months, while their winter meetings were held in the Parish Hall (Schools) which took the form of discussion groups, talks by invited speakers, debates and also there was accommodation for badminton. Hikes and outings were usually arranged for the Bank-holiday Mondays.

The LPG (Lenton Priory Guild) met in the Priory hall weekly, under their leader (each year pre-war) Lack Lows. The winter programme consisted of social evenings mainly with a monthly meeting with a more religious aspect. Once a month, members joined in a Corporate Communion Service at the early morning Sunday services in the Priory Church.

Summer evenings were mainly taken up by playing tennis, and although we (I was a founder member) were not so fortunate at first to have our own tennis court, the alternative being to use the Highfields courts, we were later able to use the tennis court at the rear of the house owned by Mrs. Driver who resided in Gregory Street next to Roseneath (Mrs. Driver's house now demolished). Thanks to the Reverend F. Ginever who had done much searching and enquiring in order to obtain for us our own court.

We played our friends in the YPA at tennis and also travelled to play other youth organisations in the city. The great occasion for the two Parish youth groups was, what became an annual event (until Mr. Hitler put a stop to the fun), the football match between the LPG and the YPA (males only) played at Highfields, on Boxing-day morning. It was great fun both for the players and the goodly crowd of spectators, although some players were still feeling their aches and pains for some time after. The last of these matches was played at Christmas 1939, after which we were all shortly afterwards called up for military service.

The Vicar, the Reverend R.J.R. Skipper, came to see his youth teams play, and he was then in the uniform of Chaplain to the Forces, having been called up for military service with the Robin Hoods Regiment, of which he was Honorary Chaplain to the Territorials pre-war. I believe that on this occasion he defrayed the expenses of the match, the loan of the pitch and use of the dressing rooms!

Good Friday, after Morning Service at the Priory, members met to walk to Bunny, via the Meadows, over the toll-bridge to Wilford, on to Ruddington, then by bridle-path to Bradmore and to Bunny, where tea was taken at the price of one-and-sixpence for a mixed fruit salad and cream with bread and butter, and a pot of tea. we would then go to Bunny Church where we, apart from resting our weary legs, listened to the choir rendering Stainer's "Crucifixion". It was then the big trek home walking back by Gotham and Clifton.

Easter Monday was the annual outing of the LPG to Dovedale, travelling by bus, privately booked from the Trent Company, with a special request for a certain driver known as Moses. The walk along the banks of the Dove, sometimes in snow showers. through the Dale in time for, and ready for, a pre-booked tea, usually "all-in" for one shilling and sixpence. So, a good day had by all, back on the bus for the sing-song back to Lenton.

All the Bank-holidays were the occasion for a hike, or hike and train, and well enjoyed. The 1939-45 war broke up the association for many of us, although many of the ladies carried on through the war years. On our return from the war, many of us were married and it was not always possible to obtain accommodation in the Parish, owing to the housing shortage at that time, so it was necessary to seek a house elsewhere.

Lenton Abbey (St. Barnabas) and Wollaton Park (St. Mary's), the daughter Churches that were established in the late thirties, also had their youth organisations. The Men's Fellowship was initiated by the Reverend R.J.R. Skipper some years before the war and the main meeting was a Men's service held in the Parish Church, monthly, on Sunday afternoon. It proved to be a most popular service, and attracted many men, not only from Lenton but from the surrounding parishes.

In addition to having a guest speaker, usually a cleric from one of the other parishes, there was the added attraction of musical items given during the service. These were vocal or instrumental, sometimes by invitation, others by our own Parish choir or individual members of the choir rendering solos. Names that spring to my mind are Mark Mellers, bass, Harry Stevens, tenor, "Bob" Hillery, tenor, and Gilbert Miller, bass. The last two being members of the choir. Instrumentalists included Mrs. Pickard, violin, Charles Pickard, organ, and the vicar who was an accomplished artist on the bass violin. Publicity was by personal invitation. The vicar and his curates would visit the licensed houses in the district, also the Liberal and Conservative clubs, on the Saturday evening before the Sunday afternoon service, and invite the men to the service, at the same time distributing invitation cards with details.

These services continued after the war years, but after the loss of Canon Skipper were discontinued, only to be re-introduced by the Reverend Leslie Abbott, Vicar of Lenton 1963-67. Then the main interest was the monthly meeting rather than the service which was so popular in the previous years. The Chairman of the new Fellowship was Mr. D.S. Greensmith, MBE, JP, who arranged for some very interesting speakers on topical subjects and a very out-of-the-ordinary trip to see a computer working, as these were only just being introduced to commercial businesses at that time.